Takedown (6 page)

H
oly shit
. He’d really blown it.

Mitchell’s mind wandered as he tapped his pen against his notepad, pressing his lips together. He couldn’t believe that not even twelve hours ago, he’d had them wrapped around Luke’s cock.

And he’d
loved
it.

This was what he’d been missing out on in New York? Was this why everyone was so obsessed with dating apps and quick fixes?

But somehow, Mitchell had a feeling it wasn’t about the act, but the guy he did it with. Looking up into Luke’s wide brown eyes, pressing his lips against tattooed, firm muscles… it was
Luke
he was into.

“Your tax liabilities will be reduced.”

“Right,” Mitchell nodded, blinking as he looked up. “That sounds good.”

His accountant nodded at the intern in the room. “We’ll draw up those papers today, then.”

Mitchell grimaced. “That doesn’t sound fun. Thanks for walking me through it.”

“Thank you for coming to see us so early. A lot of business owners—especially in your shoes—don’t come in to sort it out so quickly.”

If there was one thing Mitchell knew, it was that he had to get taxes and legal shit right from the start. Toby had managed that, and it was one reason why his estate had been settled so quickly.

The moment Mitchell walked out of the office toward his car, a scrawny young kid in a vest and glasses approached. He knew who it was just from the way he dressed.

“Mitchell Keane, right? Toby’s nephew? I’m Derek. I’m a reporter with—”

“Okay,” Mitchell nodded, holding up a hand. “Hold on. First, is this about the gym?” He damn well hoped they weren’t running some piece on Toby
now
. Or, God forbid, some piece on the Miller brothers…

Derek nodded. “My editor wants a story on its future, now that… well, you know, you’re running it. Toby was never big on interviews. We never did a piece on it opening or anything.”

He was young and eager, the absolute stereotype of a kid who looked like he was barely out of journo school. Of course, that had to work to his advantage; people were more likely to give fresh-faced kids interviews.

“Okay.” Mitchell let out a breath. “What interviews did you want? If it’s about the gym, I’m assuming I’m not the only person you want to talk to.”

“Well, I thought I could get in touch with Hugh and Luke. I’d like to know how Luke’s career is doing, what his plans are for the future. Your uncle didn’t like giving interviews, and he didn’t really let Luke do it either. And Hugh’s career could benefit. I think we could boost business for you and have a great local interest piece. You never know what will get syndicated.”

Mitchell did admire Derek’s enthusiasm, but the subtle focus on Luke’s career had him nervous. He was positive Hugh would snort derisively at the idea of needing a newspaper article to get more work. “Call me tomorrow and I’ll figure out a time to sit down, thanks.”

“Are you sure you couldn’t talk to me today? The sooner we can sit down and talk, the sooner I can get this story in print. It’ll be a win-win,” the kid pushed a little more. He pushed his glasses up his nose, digging in his pocket for a voice recorder. “We could do it anytime.”

“You have questions ready?” Mitchell raised his brows.

“Of course.”

“I don’t think I’m equipped to answer them yet,” Mitchell told Derek. It wasn’t untrue—he had a lot of paperwork to get through first, after all. “I only took over the gym properly a couple days ago. I’m sure you heard about me coming into town.”

Derek nodded. “Right. We could go over the basics now and sit down to arrange the rest soon… Tomorrow?”

“I’ll
call
you tomorrow,” Mitchell clarified to make damn sure he wasn’t just going to drop by. “You have a card?” When Derek handed it over, he nodded. “I have a few things I have to get done today. We’ll talk then.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you soon,” Derek promised with a quick wave, striding to his car.

Mitchell shook his head as he walked over to his car. Something still seemed off, but when he mentally reviewed the conversation, nothing stood out. It could have just been his paranoia, especially given what happened last night.

He tried to relax. This was pretty normal for tiny little Beatrice, after all. Those who didn’t live here for the cheaper housing prices were often tightly-knit groups of friends and family. People who grew up here often wound up moving back to raise their family.

Mitchell would never want to raise
his
kids here. Not that he should be thinking of having kids yet.

There was so much interest in the gym given the size of the town. Was Luke really that big a name? He’d Googled him a few times in the last few years, yeah, but he hadn’t seen any major profile pieces on him.

Ah. Maybe that was what Derek was after.

He’d have to discuss this once he got back. For now, he liked the idea of there being so much interest in Toby’s gym in the community. It gave him hope that it could be a centerpiece for the town after all.

N
o matter
what Hugh challenged him with, Luke could respond on autopilot. That was both the benefit and disadvantage of living at the gym. He’d tried just about every weird exercise Hugh asked of him. It was rare for Hugh to pull something out of his ass and surprise him.

In turn, that allowed his mind to wander. He hadn’t seen Mitchell since last night’s… slip in self-control on both of their parts. He was a little worried that he was out and about after the heated confrontation with the Millers, but he trusted Mitchell to look after himself.

Mitchell had probably been right that Luke stormed into situations and turned them violent. Luke was still positive he’d done the right thing this time, though.

He landed another kick or two on the pads strapped to Hugh’s arms, pretending they were Bobby’s stupid face.

“What are you gonna do if Pascal is hot?”

That stunned Luke, jolting him out of his reverie mid-punch. He barely grazed the bag. “What?”

Hugh watched him evenly, tilting his chin up. “You gonna lose your nerve?”

That was way below the belt, but it set the fire under Luke’s skin again.

Was that all everyone thought? That at the first sight of a nice chest or a great pair of forearms or a pretty smile, he’d get distracted? Weren’t they past those ideas these days?”

He stepped closer for a rapid series of jabs, then kicked until Hugh stumbled back.

“Good,” Hugh approved. “I shouldn’t have to bait you to get your attention, but Pascal might just say that to you, too. Keep your mind on the fight.”

Luke grunted as he threw his elbow into the pad. “I
am
.”

“I don’t think you are. Where’s your head, kid?”

“Here.” Luke kneed it, then kicked it once more. A few hundred pounds of force were hard to resist even for someone with as much muscle as Hugh had. Hugh stumbled back again but raised the pads, silently challenging Luke to take him down.

Fine. No holds barred.

Luke leapt to it, slamming his fists into the pads over and over. He twisted, spun, and drove his elbow back. Next, he landed a backward kick, and then another spin and a roundhouse kick combined with several swift jabs.

Hugh stumbled back, losing his balance and dropping to his knees. “Good!” He was beaming, looking more pleased than he had in days.

Luke was still raring to go, almost disappointed he’d yielded so fast. His fists were tightly curled, his heart thumping in his ears. If this were a fight, he’d go for a hold—but it wasn’t.

“Much better.”

Hugh was back on his feet now, the pads down by his side as he triumphantly grinned.

Oh, shit. He’d just given Hugh another weapon to motivate him. Hugh could see the realization dawning on his face and was laughing now.

“Oh, you asshole,” Luke grunted, pulling his gloves off and rubbing his knuckles. He walked away to hydrate. “Jesus.”

“You shouldn’t give me that opportunity, then.” Hugh put down his pads and followed at a leisurely stroll. “Mitch on your mind?”

Luke caught his breath, but there was nobody else around right now—just him and Hugh. There was no way he could admit to Hugh with a straight face what they’d done the other day. At the same time, Luke was responsible for telling his trainer about distractions.

“A little,” he admitted. “It’s weird, him blowing—”
Don’t laugh.
“—back into town after all these years. You know?”

Hugh nodded. “I thought it might be that. Were you guys ever…?”

Luke leaned against the water fountain button, freezing for a moment before leaning down to gulp water. That was a bombshell.

Hugh had never once asked about his love life, and vice versa. They just didn’t talk about that. A lot of guys talked about their girlfriends or their jobs, just in generic terms, without ever
talking
. But Luke and Hugh didn’t share those details.

If Hugh was asking, there was a reason.

“No,” he answered as he pulled away, wiping his mouth on his arm. “Fuck, no.”

Hugh seemed to accept it, leaning in past him to drink, too.

“I ratted him out for… well, you know… and then it turned out it wasn’t him.”

Hugh straightened up and frowned, the confusion evident on his face. “What wasn’t him?”

“At the bar.”

Hugh’s jaw dropped. It was hard to surprise him, but there it was. “What? Nobody around here knows that. You saw someone else?”

The guilt was a sharper kick to the stomach than Hugh could ever give him. Luke looked away for a moment, then down to his knuckles to check the tape. “Yeah. Looked a damn sight like him in the lighting, but the second time I saw him I realized…”

“But it was too late,” Hugh guessed. “Jesus Christ. Why didn’t he defend himself?”

Luke laughed bitterly and raised his shoulders in a shrug. “I don’t know.”

Maybe…

But no.

That was a stupid hope. He couldn’t start stringing together stupid hopes into some fantasy about winning Mitchell over as his own. Not now. He had a fight to focus on, and a gym to buy, and Hugh to keep taunting him into training harder.

“He never said,” Luke said at last, pulling his gloves back on. “What next?”

Hugh accepted the subject change. “Chin-ups, and I’m making sure your core’s tight. He goes for the ribs and the stomach a lot.”

“Yeah, I know.” Luke had studied Pascal’s fighting style in a couple of shitty YouTube videos. He’d watched him fight live just once—last year, at a West Coast championship where they’d both been in very minor fights. He’d been impressed by Pascal’s cold savagery, even if it was far from the way he fought.

He hadn’t known then they’d get matched up, but the MMA world was small. Sooner or later he was bound to fight everyone within a weight class or so.

And whether he was forced to be brutal or not, Luke intended to win.

A
s he stood
on Emily’s front porch listening to the doorbell chime, Mitchell shifted from foot to foot. Should he have brought flowers? Was it an appropriate time to call? Emily had said to come on over this morning, but did something else lie in wait?

No matter. He had to try.

“Hi!” Emily beamed at him, pausing for a moment on the other side of the screen door once she’d opened her front door. They got a few seconds to look each other over.

It felt as if the last three years had come and gone in a flash. Emily still had short, dark hair, but it was curled around her ears. Her smile was warm and genuine, and those gorgeous blue eyes were still bright and happy to see him.

That alone made Mitchell’s shoulders sink with relief as he offered a smile back. “Hey. Thanks for inviting me over.”

“Of course! Come on in.” She leaned forward to open the screen door for him, then stood back to let him into the house.

It was a beautiful little spot—light, airy, full of green things. The multiple crosses hanging on the wall in the front hallway and living room were a little obnoxious, but Mitchell could overlook them.

“It’s been so long. How have you been?” Emily asked first, her gaze on him. She seemed genuinely interested in the answer.

For the first time since getting to Nebraska, Mitchell felt totally relaxed. He didn’t think it could be a trap by the Millers anymore—it just took one look at Emily to see that. She knew pretty much all his dirty secrets, and she still seemed to want to see him.

It was so nice not to have any sexual tension in the air. There was just tentative emotional closeness from the fears and dreams they’d once shared with each other.

Mitchell realized his mind was wandering. “Oh, I’ve been good. Um, overall. One or two ugly moments.”

“I heard about Bobby and—were the twins there, too?”

“Yep.” Mitchell’s jaw tightened as he wondered exactly what she’d heard.

“I’m so sorry.” She picked at a thread on her dress with nerves as she spoke, then gestured to the kitchen. “Want a glass of water? Iced tea?”

“Iced tea would be wonderful, thanks. It’s okay. It’s not your fault—I’m assuming.”

“No,” Emily said quickly. “Of course not. I had no idea they were going to do that, the assholes.”

Mitchell relaxed again and laughed. “Yeah, I figured. They always thought they were the vigilante heroes of the town or something.”

“I don’t remember them busting any crimes,” Emily drawled, rolling her eyes. She poured two glasses of iced tea and handed one over, then led him to the couch to sit down. She patted the couch next to her. “I yelled at Greg—that’s my new fiancé—and he said he’d talk to them. I don’t even know why he’s friends with them.”

“Greg,” Mitchell said, his mind wandering. He couldn’t remember a Greg in their peer group.

“Oh, he moved here from Lincoln for work. He’s an engineer at the new plant.”

Mitchell nodded. “A lot of people seem to be coming here for that.”

“Yeah, it’s been great for generating jobs,” Emily nodded. “But who cares about Beatrice news? Tell me about you. How’s New York City?”

She looked rapt, like anyone who hadn’t lived in the city. There was that certain charm and appeal around the name itself.

Mitchell didn’t want to break that magic spell. And, honestly, the city still had
him
ensnared three years later. “It’s incredible. Everything they say and more, especially expensive,” he laughed. “But I’ve been doing great as a realtor.”

“Wow. You’re doing luxury properties, right?”

Everyone in town had to know that. “Yeah. A lot of penthouses and mansions. It’s really bizarre. I mean, I come back here and houses are sixty grand…”

Emily laughed. “Yeah. And you’re doing million-dollar deals.” She squeezed his knee briefly, lightly, and pulled her hand back. “I’m really proud of you.” Her voice was sincere now, her eyes still on his. “After everything, I was worried.”

“That I’d go off the rails?” Mitchell quirked his lips in a half-smile. “Nah. It was just the push I needed.”

“Good,” Emily nodded. “And… relationship-wise…?”

Mitchell swallowed, his eyes falling to her hand. “Not as lucky as you. Wow, that’s a nice ring.”

“It’s sweet, isn’t it?” It was a traditional silver band with diamonds. No going wrong with that. This guy seemed like the standard sweet small-town boy. “So you haven’t been seeing anyone?”

Mitchell shook his head. “Not lately.”

“Or since we…?”

Mitchell winced, hating the admission. So far, he’d failed at both being a straight guy and being a gay guy. “No.”

“Oh,” Emily murmured, frowning her sympathy. “Wow. Why? You’re just a bachelor type?”

Mitchell nodded slowly. “I guess so. I mean, the lifestyle out there is pretty fast-paced. I’m working most of the day, you know?” He finished his iced tea, aware of the nervousness sucking the moisture from his mouth. “So I haven’t really made time.”

He couldn’t stop fidgeting with the glass, like she’d be able to see the traces of Luke’s kisses along his neck and lips.

Emily nodded again, still calm and still. “Right. So, I guess you’ve been talking to Luke?”

Mitchell’s laugh was more nervous than he meant it to be. “Yeah. He’s at the gym, so…”

“So you have to. Are things okay between you two?” Emily looked anxious. “I always felt bad that this whole thing… you know, broke the two of you up.”

Mitchell’s cheeks felt hot as he stared at his empty glass and swirled the ice cubes around it a few more times. “Um, yeah, I think things are okay now.” He made himself drag his gaze up to her again so he’d be less suspicious.

“I’m too sucked into everything—” God, he was going to blush again. “To, um, have time. Like I said. I mean, for relationships. Even friendships, like one with Luke, would be hard.”
Oh, fuck. Shut up.

Emily undoubtedly had her suspicions, but she nodded. “Well, I hope you’re happy.”

“I am,” he promised. That much, he was sure of. It had been hell to split up, and to be practically chased out of town, but… it had been a wakeup call he’d needed. Mitchell smiled. “You are too, huh?”

“Never been better. Look, you should come by and meet Greg. Especially if you’re going to be in town for a few weeks.”

Mitchell didn’t think that was the best idea he’d ever heard. Her ex-fiancé meeting her current fiancé? But she had to trust him or have some good reason for it, or she wouldn’t have asked him. “Yeah, I will.”

“Next week?”

“Okay. I could use a couple more friends in town,” Mitchell cracked a smile again.

Emily laughed lightly. “No doubt. Come on by next week for a barbecue, then,” she told him as they rose to their feet. “And thanks for dropping by.”

Mitchell leaned in for a quick, polite hug and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for having me over.” It was nice not to feel like a plague-carrier when people he’d once known averted their gazes and pretended not to recognize him. Maybe knowing they were on good terms would make everyone else warm up to him again.

Emily was a good one. He was thankful not to be married to her, but also to be her friend in some way again. He’d gotten lucky back then that he’d found one of the few awesome people in this backward town.

As he drove back, he wondered what Greg was like. And Luke would like her, too. Not that they needed to be introduced.